2014 Republican Platform

Statement of Principles

We, the duly elected delegates of the Republican Party of New Hampshire, in convention assembled, in discharge of the duty we owe to our constituents and our state, unite in the following Platform of Republican Principles:

We, the people of the New Hampshire Republican Party, do stand united in our dedication to preserving freedom, limited government and unlimited opportunity for all.

We believe, above all else, in the founding principle that all people are created equal, endowed by our Creator with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, unimpeded by intrusive government regulation and control.

We believe that the New Hampshire and United States Constitutions were written by our forefathers to limit our government, not our freedom.

We believe that individual liberty is guaranteed under the Constitutions of the United States and New Hampshire, that the liberty of the people must be protected above the power of the government, and that it is only through an adherence to our founding documents that we will continue to grow as a free, Constitutional Republic.

We believe that the Founding Fathers gave the 1st Amendment its pre-eminent position with intent that religious freedom deserves to be protected.

We believe that the 2nd Amendment is in a position of prominence with the intent that law-abiding citizens of the United States of America have a right to protect and defend their lives, their families and their property without government infringement.

We believe in free people, free markets and free enterprise.

We believe that happiness and success are the result of individual effort, hard work and dedication to a purpose.

We believe that economies flourish when all people retain as much of their hard earned income as possible, to spend and invest as they see fit.

We believe that low taxes are the result of low spending; that government has a moral obligation to the people to be as cost effective as possible, to always limit spending and growth of government, and to cut spending and cost of government at every possible turn.

We believe that a strong national defense is necessary to preserve freedom and opportunity in America, and we believe that secure national borders are an integral part of a strong national defense.

We believe that freedom can exist only in a nation that is willing to defend it. The utmost honor must be bestowed upon those who are willing to serve and sacrifice in the United States Military. Let us never forget those whose greatest sacrifice has protected a free and strong America for all.

We believe that life is sacred, from conception to natural death and that we cannot diminish the value of one category of human life without diminishing the value of all human life.

We believe that traditional families are the foundation of strong communities, and that family life best nurtures love of country, faith in God, morality and concern for others.

We believe that we the people are strongest when we stand together, that it is our responsibility to hold government accountable and that it is through the integrity of the ballot box that we do so.

We believe that every child is filled with potential and is unique in their own right; as such we believe there is no one-size-fits-all education solution; we support expanded education choices, including but not limited to: education tax credits, charter schools, and home schooling. We believe in local educational control, beginning with parents, teachers and principals.

We believe as the New Hampshire Constitution states, that acquiring, possessing and protecting property is a natural, essential and inherent right.

We believe that New Hampshire, with her rock-solid values and proud history of political activism, must preserve her First In The Nation Primary position.

We believe that the history of the Republican Party is a story of strength, courage and patriotism; our party was founded in the fight to end the despicable practice of slavery, it was the Republican Party that fought for the right of all women to vote, it was Republicans in Congress who fought to overcome the southern Democrats’ resistance to pass civil rights legislation and it is Republican values that will lead our nation forward in freedom and opportunity for all.

We, the people of the New Hampshire Republican Party, pledge to our neighbors across our great, beautiful and proud state, that we remain dedicated to maintaining a limited, affordable government, to lead with integrity, character and compassion, and to forever defend the freedom that has made the United States of America a beacon of hope for all people.

“That the history of the nation during the last (six) years has fully established the propriety and necessity of the organization and perpetuation of the Republican Party, and that the causes that called it into existence are permanent in their nature, and now, more than ever before, demand its peaceful and constitutional triumph…

That the present Democratic Administration has far exceeded our worst apprehensions in its measureless subserviency to the exactions of (special) interests…and in its general and unvarying abuse of the power intrusted to it by a confiding people…

That the people justly view with alarm the reckless extravagance which pervades every department of the Federal Government; that a return to rigid economy and accountability is indispensable to arrest the systematic plunder of the public treasury by favored partisans…(and)

Finally, having thus set forth our distinctive principals and views, we invite the co-operation of all citizens, however differing on other questions, who substantially agree with us in their affirmance and support.” – Republican Platform, 1860

Application of Principles

Jobs and the Economy

Improving New Hampshire's Business Climate

Remove barriers to business formation and encourage small businesses

Minimize business regulations, permits, licenses and paperwork

Keep state government lean to allow lower business taxes

Foster an attitude of assistance and cooperation with business and increase responsiveness

Prefer incentives to penalties and issue warnings before fines

Work with municipalities to streamline planning and zoning barriers to business

Support the development of a robust telecommunications and technology infrastructure throughout New Hampshire

Support cost-efficient means to protect, develop and market agricultural, forest and high value natural resource products

New Hampshire's Work Force

Uphold the right to join or avoid labor unions without coercion or intimidation; support "right to work" legislation

Support legislation to allow workers to decide the allocation of the portion of their union dues used for political purposes

Encourage apprenticeships

Support the concept of “merit pay”

Taxes and Spending

Low Taxes are the Result of Low Spending

Strongly oppose new taxes and fees, including an income, sales and capital gains tax dd>Cut or eliminate taxes which inhibit enterprise, earnings and savings and investment, such as the Interest and Dividends Tax and the Business Enterprise/Business Profits Tax

Limit the growth of state spending to not more than the rate of inflation plus population growth

Require super-majorities to raise taxes

Oppose “downshifting” of costs and regulatory enforcement from state to local government

Maintain local control of spending and taxes designed to support local services

Work to reduce energy costs and remove New Hampshire from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

Reject expanded casino and video lottery gambling as a means to balance the budget or increase spending

Government Structure

Justify expenditures against measurable benefits

Prioritize programs to ensure effective spending

Reward employees who save money and/or exceed their goals

Sunset programs and regulations to force periodic reevaluation

Privatize programs and functions that can be handled more effectively by the private sector

Ensure that public employee benefits are similar to and do not exceed those of the private sector

Support the concept of a people's veto

Expand openness and transparency to employment, expenditures and all recipients of taxpayers’ funds

Protect the privacy of individuals from government agencies and employees who abuse their power and position

Health

Support the repeal of Obamacare and oppose its implementation in New Hampshire

Support the moral and ethical right of informed consent with regard to all medical treatment and intervention

Provide for the special needs of seniors, including opportunities for personalized home health care and less expensive alternatives to hospital stays and prescription medication

Respect New Hampshire’s honored veterans by ensuring that they receive the benefits they have rightfully earned and deserve, particularly by combating homelessness and making all medical facilities available to qualified veterans

Education

Excellence in Education

Do not interfere with parents' right to control the education of their children

Encourage school choice and competition and allow all parents to choose the best public, private, charter or home school program for their children

Make school education tax credits available to enable school choice

Repeal the so called “Blaine Amendment” to end discrimination against religious schools

Support increased use of market forces to provide and improve education

Local Control and Funding of Public Schools

Promote local control of education policy and funding in order to create the best-managed school systems

Amend the Constitution to overturn the poorly decided Claremont rulings and return educational funding and policy to the people at the local level

Remove mandates, particularly unfunded mandates, as a condition for receiving state or federal aid

The Classroom

Emphasize academic achievement

Emphasize marketable skills at the high school and post-secondary levels

Support innovative measures to reduce tuition costs and increase national competitiveness

Reform the teacher certification process to include participation by individuals outside the standard education paradigm whose experiences will elevate appreciation for knowledge in the classroom

Enable and encourage a momentary silent prayer or reflective silence in the classroom along with the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of each school day

The Family

Support the pre-born child's fundamental right to life and personhood under the Fourteenth Amendment, and implement all Constitutional and legal protections

Encourage individuals and organizations who provide alternatives to abortion by meeting the needs of mothers through adoption, support, counseling and educational services

Require parental consent for minors seeking abortions, ban the use of public resources to fund or promote abortion, support the unity of the family and the sanctity of innocent life, and support similar efforts at the federal level

Recognize marriage as the legal and sacred union between one man and one woman as ordained by God, encouraged by the State, and traditional to humankind, and the core of the Family

Maintain the fundamental role and responsibility of both parents in the care, upbringing and discipline of their children

Oppose euthanasia and physician assisted suicide

Support a Life at Conception Act guaranteeing the protections of Life and Personhood to the pre-born under the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution

Law And Order

Protect the rights of law-abiding individuals to own and carry firearms to defend themselves, their families and their property; oppose any taxation, licensing restrictions, or registration of firearms; oppose the requirement to obtain a license to carry a concealed firearm; oppose any "assault weapons" ban; support the universal right of self defense wherever one has a legal right to be

Ensure due process rights of those accused of child abuse or neglect

Establish strict laws against sexual predators including life incarceration as appropriate

Strengthen prosecution and fair enforcement of death penalty laws

Prosecute violations of election law and ensure voting is done by New Hampshire resident citizens only; to prevent voter fraud we support the requirement to produce positive identification upon both registering and voting

The Judiciary

Demand the appointment of judges who recognize their proper and limited interpretive role, relying only on the original intent of the federal and state constitutions

Implement reasonable and periodic oversight of judicial officers, including term limitations

Support the constitutional right of citizens to petition the general court for redress of grievances

Support the people’s oversight of the Judiciary through their elected Legislature

The Environment

Recognize that private property owners are the most effective land stewards and have a fundamental right to freely use and enjoy their property

Require that all energy and infrastructure projects constructed within New Hampshire be constructed in a manner which does not negatively affect New Hampshire’s natural beauty and personal property values

Encourage landowners to keep their property open and accessible to responsible recreation

Provide public access to all public lands and great ponds, subject to adequate protection for indigenous plants and animals

Encourage private development of a balanced, safe and environmentally sensitive transportation system to provide greater commuter and commercial access to and within our state

Improve highways and reduce traffic congestion to increase access to recreation and tourism in rural areas

Federalism

Demand the enforcement of national border security and immigration laws

Oppose any form of amnesty for illegal aliens

Define trespass to include illegal presence in New Hampshire

Oppose federal programs that contradict the ninth or tenth amendment to the US Constitution; these amendments reserve unenumerated rights and powers to the states and the people

Oppose any federal mandates or guidelines for education

Support efforts to hold the federal government to the same standard against unfunded mandates as we do our state government under the New Hampshire Constitution

Oppose laws and programs contrary to our founding principles such as the International Baccalaureate Program, UN Agenda 21 or other “sustainable development” programs

Take any and all actions possible to protect against the implementation of any part of Sharia law in New Hampshire, including legislation outlawing Sharia law

The delegates of the New Hampshire Republican Party, in convention assembled, in Hooksett, NH, on September 20, 2014, pursuant to RSA 667: 21 I, do hereby adopt the foregoing Platform of Republican Principles.

May God forever bless the United States of America and the great State of New Hampshire.